Typographical distributing machine



D 2 19 3 ROSSETTO ET AL 0 TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTORS' E, 3'' 2 9. ATTORNEY:

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D c- 22. 1 L. ROSSETTO ET AL TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1950 INVE N 7' ORJ 8y i 22 t; WATTORNEYS D c- 22, 1 3 L. RQssETTo ET AL TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 2, 1950 W of 50;

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' INVENTORS TTORNE g Patented Dec. 22,

ascamt m TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Louis Rossetto, Flushing, andGino F. Squas soni,

Corona, N. Y., assignors to ergeinha erLmoty e Company, a' corporation of New York Application September 2, 1950, Serial No; 183,034 15 class. (01. 199-16) This ven ion rela s. to t gr hi al d e: buii e meeh nes such s. line 'y e mae eee the general organization represented in Letters Patent e t e Unitedfita esteO. e h l No. $6,532, wherein circulating matrices are re e e m a. ma z ne i the or e in wh h their e e a et appea in inten t e assembled in line, the composed line transferred to he face o aelotted m ld h mol filledwith molten metal to form a slug ortype bar against the matrices whichproduoe the type characters h r nd. he matr ces her aft r eturn through distributing mechanism to the magazine from W i .he 1 t em a.

More particularly, it relates ,to machines of the lt le mese nerer ty; h rein he m sa: in emm a l n we d y a downwar ly in the machine frame to bring different selected magazines into operative relation to the assembling and distributing mechanisms, There are several different commercial models whichjmakeup this class of machines and the present invention has been developed particularly in connection with those modelswhich include asfeatures the r m ts, closed p ication or U. S. Letters Patent, ,Serial No., 171,584, of John H. p a fi J ly 1, 95 V. I h se ma n s the sh ft of the. magezines is efiected bya crank handle located at the front of the machine and connected to a magazine elevating mechanism which provides for a quick, easy and smooth shifting. of the magazines in changing from one to another. Preparatory to shifting magazines; however, the depression of a hand leveris requiredto; release the locking mechanism and to perform various safety functions prior to shifting magazines. Thus, for example, to avoid the dangers arising from a matrix lodged across the line of communication between a magazine entrance and a magazine at the time of shifting, the magazine entrance is adapted tobe swung bacl zwardly out of its operative position in response to the operation of the handlever. U Moreover in order to prevent the shifting of magazines, when the matrices are in the process of distribution, a matrix fee1er is adapted to move intq contact with anymatrices in the process of distribution and, consequently,

to prevent the releaseof thelocking mechanism upon contact Withanysuch rnatrices,

In accordance v vith the present invention, the above-mentioned and other safety features are efiectuated by improved electrical means. For xa e meet e...el ieg .mee n e i rendered inoperative, not only when matrices V 2 arein the process of distribution on the distribu: tor bar, and when a matrixbecomes lodged across the gap between the magazine entrance andthe magazine, but also, under certain conditions, when matrices in the course of distribution have notas yet reached the distributor bar but are still in the processvof being advanced through the upper distributor box. In other words, under any of the three stated conditions, the maga zine shifting mechanism is positively locked out of ra io ,7 ln addition, the present invention also pro.- vi e n impro e s stem f sa e na mps Other such signal .-,systems have heretofore been Pr d. i n ell the ha e ol the use of danger signals to indicate unsafe con;- ditions. a When trouble occurs in the safety sysem i pe f emnu ual ail v to n tion. wi h t e re u t that tbe-e e ermisled o believing that a safe condition exists. With the safety lamp system herein proposed, however, the signal system operative only whenla safe condition exists, and if the signal system goes out of order,the.operaton is warned of this condition by the, failure to receive .a safe signal.

Furthermore, thesafety mechanism herein propo e ermel leeks he m azi s t n ec anism outofpperation. unless a safe condition exists, and hereagain, itthe safety mechanism goes out of order, the operator,isputonnotice 0f he nd ien r thenon-irel ase or the, lock..- ing mechanism, thereby preventing the shifting ofrnagazines.

T ese. nd ether .i p l fim tsmwill be described in the detailed description following:

Referring to the drawings: H I c Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a Linotype machine embodying the present improvements; W

Fig 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the distributinginechanisrni Fig. 3 is a front new of the 'afety 1001;; which prevents the shifting ormaeazines;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the distributing mechanism; p

ig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrating a matrix lodged across" the gap between a magazine entrance and the magazine;

Fig. 6. is a View of a detail o'f-the magazine entrance safety mechanism; and f i Fig. 7 is a circuit, diagram for the entire elec tric safetysystem, v 7.-

. t embed ment lust ated, the present improvementshave been shownasapplied to. asocalled mining? machine, equipped'with four in: cline'd magazines A A A and A removably rices therefrom, one at a time.

mounted on separate base frames conjointly constituting a shift frame, which is arranged to be moved upwardly and downwardly by operation of a crank handle A at the front of the machine. The magazines are selectable in pairs, instead of singly, so that matrices may be withdrawn from either magazine of the selected pair and, after the casting operation, returned by the distributing mechanism to their respective magazine channels. However, it will be obvious from the description to follow that the improvements are applicable to any multiple magazine machine of the shiftable variety.

The actual mechanism for raising and lowering the magazines is well known in the art and forms no part of the instant invention. For present purposes, it suffices to say that the operation of the crank handle A through the long foreand-aft shaft A. and the short shaft G eifects' the upward and downward movement of an inclined magazine elevating slide F through counterbalanced gear mechanism denoted generally by the reference letter G.

Both operative magazines are served by a common distributing mechanism, denoted generally by the reference letter D. As well understood, the matrices, after the completion of the casting operation, are transferred onto a V-shaped second elevator bar C (Fig. 2), whereon they are lifted to the distributor box C and pushed, by means of a cam operated shifter bar C and pusher member C onto and across a stationary V-shaped bar C (Fig. 7) located in the box. Also located in the distributor box is a lifter C which rises at regular, evenly timed intervals, to feed the mat- Those matrices which are to be returned to the lower operative magazine pass onto the upper distributor bar D while those matrices which are to be returned to the upper operative magazine are permitted to fall into a chute C leading to a lower distributor box C from which they are individually fed, by means of another lifter C onto the lower distributor bar D (see Fig. 2). In either case, however, the matrices are advanced along the respective distributor bars D D by rotating screws D there being three of such screws associated with each distributor bar. After they are released from the distributor bar D or D the matrices pass through the appropriate magazine entrance D or D and thence into the corresponding operative magazine (A or A as in the case of Fig. 1 and A or A as in the case of Figs. 4 and 5), where they are stored until selectively released by the operation of the keyboard B.

As fully shown and described in the aforementioned Hilpman application, the inclined elevating slide F, which can be raised or lowered by the crank handle A to select the desired pair of magazines, is adapted to be locked in its different positions by means of a locating and locking pawl J 1 cooperating with notches F formed in the rear side of the slide. There is no need herein to fully describe the operation or functions of the looking pawl J except to point out that it is ordinarily maintained in its locking position by means of a spring J but is adapted to be withdrawn from the active notch by the depression of a hand lever J preparatory to shifting magazines. In addition, the hand lever J also effects the movement of matrix guards S across the discharge ends of the two operative magazines. If the matrix guards encounter any interference from a matrix protruding from the lower end of either magazine 4 in use, the hand lever J cannot be operated to release the locking pawl J As heretofore explained, one of the purposes of the present invention is to prevent the shifting of magazines when the matrices are still in the process of distribution, or when a matrix becomes lodged across the gap between the magazine entrance D or D and the corresponding magazine. Toward this end, therefore, a notched or toothed wheel G is secured to the shaft (it of the counterbalanced gear mechanism G. A pivotal pawl G under tension of a spring G (see Fig. 3) normally engages one of the notches of the wheel G thereby preventing the operation of the hand crank A to raise or lower the magazines. The pawl G however, is connected to a solenoid or equivalent electrical element E which, when energized, withdraws the pawl C from engagement with the wheel G to permit the shifting of the magazines. To briefly summarize the general scheme of operation, the solenoid E is generally deenergized but, when the pawl J is released by the depression of the hand lever J preparatory to shifting magazines, a switch E is thereby closed to energize the solenoid, provided the matrices have all been distributed, and provided further that the magazine entrances are clear.

The operation of the various safety features can be best understood by reference to Fig. 7, showing the electrical circuit and the various mechanical parts associated therewith. The elements of the control circuit are housed in a control box E (Fig. 1), wherein the usual source of A. C. voltage is fed into a step-up transformer and tapped oil in the various quantities needed. One of said tap-offs leads to the heater 3 of a thyratron control tube 2, said heater serving to bring the cathode 5 to the proper temperature to cause electron emission therefrom. When a safe condition prevails in the distributor, the thyratron conducts positive half waves of current to complete a holding circuit for a relay 3. As shown, the screen i and the grid 6 of the control tube are tied to the cathode, the latter being tied thereto through a time delay condenser 9 and resistor it. The holding circuit for the relay 4 may be traced from the cathode 5, tied to ground, to the plate 8 and back to a volt tap-01f through the relay A smoothing condenser [1 in paraliel with the relay 3 serves to even out the flow of current for the holding circuit. When energized, the relay 4 serves to hold contacts H and i2 closed to maintain the solenoid E in readiness for operation but, when the relay i is deenergized, the contacts are opened (as shown in Fig. 7) to prevent the energization of the solenoid Turning for a moment to the magazine entrances D and 13*, it should be evident that the magazines are adapted to be shifted with respect to the lower or discharge ends of the said entrances and, as explained above, occasionally a matrix becomes lodged in the small space between its magazine and the corresponding magazine entrance (see Fig. 6). To prevent any consequent damage when the magazines are attempted to be shifted under these conditions, the lower or discharge end of each of the magazine entrances D and D is provided with pivoted upper and lower extension members or flaps K and K respectively. The lower flaps K are held in position by means of spring urged arms K (see especially Fig. 6), there being preferably two of said arms, one at each end, serving to hold each of said flaps The present invention has been shown and (16-; scribed as especially applicable to a mixer machine, but it should be noted that it is applicable as well to non-mixing machines. Also, the various safety features have been shown and described as applied to machines having only a bank of main magazines, but, of course, they could be likewise applied to machines having a bank of auxiliary magazines.

Also, it is evident that the present invention is not to be limited in any way by the voltages specified, or the type of current employed. In deed, the invention has been shown and described merely in preferred form, and obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein and in its mode of application which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typograpical distributing machine equipped with a series of matrix magazines, a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, a distributor box, a distributor bar, a shifter for advancing the matrices through the distributor box to the distributor bar, a magazine entrance for guiding the matrices released from the distributor bar into the selected magazine, and a lock for preventing the operation of the shift frame, the combination therewith of an electrically controlled element for releasing said lock, an electric circuit for energizing said element, a relay for conditioning said circuit for operation, a thyratron controlled holding circuit for said relay, and means responsive to the presence of a matrix on the distributor bar for controlling the firing of the thyratron to deactivate the relay and thus prevent the energization of the lock releasing element.

2. The combination according to claim 1, including an electrical switch actuated by the shifter for controlling thefiring of the thyratron.

3. The combination according to claim 1, including means actuated by the movement of the shift frame for breaking said energizing circuit when the shift frame is operated with a matrix lodged across the gap between the magazine entrance and the magazine.

4. The combination according to claim 1, including a normally lighted electric signal lamp located in the relay circuit and adapted to be extinguished by the deactivation of said circuit.

5. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with a series of matrix magazines, a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, a matrix feeler arranged to move across the discharge end of the selected magazine in the absence of protruding matrices, a distributor box, a distributor bar, a shifter for advancing the matrices through the distributor box to the distributor bar, a magazine entrance for guiding the matrices released from the distributor bar into the selected magazine, a lock engageable with a part of the magazine shift frame to locate and hold said frame in its different positions, a second look normally operative to prevent the operation of the shift frame, manual means for operating the matrix feeler andfor concurrently releasing the first lock, and electric circuit means controlled by the release of the first lock to release the second lock. said circuit means bein 8 operative only when the distributor bar is clear of matrices.

6. The combination, according to claim 5, wherein said circuit means include devices which render it operative only when the distributor box is clear of matrices.

'7. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a series of matrix magazines, a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, manually controlled mechanism for operating said shift frame, means for locking said manually controlled mechanism out of operation, an electrically controlled element for releasing said locking means, a magazine entrance for conducting matrices in, the course of distribution into the selected magazine, upper and lower flaps pivotally mounted at the discharge end of said magazine entrance, said flaps being caused to pivot when the magazines are shifted by engagement with a matrix lodged in the gap between the magazine entrance and the magazine, and an electrical switch controlled by the pivoting of either of said flaps for preventing the release of the locking means.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein the mounting for the upper pivotal flap allows it to be maintained in position by gravity, and including a spring to maintain the lower pivotal flap in position by spring pressure.

9. The combination according to claim 7 including an electric signal lamp controlled by said switch and operable to indicate the absence of a matrix from said gap.

10. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a series of matrix magazines, a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, a distributor box, a distributor bar, a shifter for advancing the matrices through the distributor box to the distributor bar, a plurality of rotating screws for moving the matrices along the distributor bar, a magazine entrance for guiding the matrices released from the distributor bar into the selected magazine, a lock for preventing the operation of said shift frame, an electrically controlled element operable to release saicl lock, a first electric circuit for operating said element, manually controlled means operable prior to the movement of the shift frame for closing said first circuit, a second electric circuit for conditioning said first-mentioned circuit for operation, a switch operated by said shifter for controlling said second-mentioned circuit, means controlled by matrices in the course of distribution on the distributor bar for also controlling said second-mentioned circuit, and means actuated by the movement of the shift frame for breaking said first-mentioned circuit when the shift frame is operated with a matrix lodged in the gap between the magazine entrance and the magazine.

11. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with a distributor box, a distributor bar, a shifter for advancing the matrices through the distributor box to the distributor bar, magazine shifting mechanism, and a lock for preventing the operation of said magazine shifting mechanism, the combination therewith of manually operable means for releasing said lock, an electric signal lamp automatically lighted and extinguished by the absence and presence of matrices on the distributor bar, respectively, and electric circuit means for said lamp, said circuit means including a switch which is manually actuated by the lock releasing means to close the lamp circuit, and an automatic switch actuated in response to matrices on the bar to open the lamp circuit.

12. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with a distributor box, a distributor bar, a shifter for advancing the matrices through the distributor box to the distributor bar, magazine shifting mechanism, and a lock for preventing the operation of said magazine shifting mechanism, the combination therewith of manually operable means for releasing said lock, an electric signal lamp automatically lighted and extinguished by the absence and presence of matrices in the distriubtor box, respectively, and electric circuit means for said lamp, said circuit means including a switch which is manually actuated by the lock releasing means to close the lamp circuit, and an automatic switch actuated in response to matrices in the box to open the lamp circuit.

13. In a typographical distributin machine, the combination of a series of matrix magazines, a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, mechanism for operating said shift frame, a magazine entrance for conducting matrices in the course of distribution into the selected magazine, said entrance being provided at its discharge end with a yielding fiap or section which is caused to yield during the movement of the shift frame by engagement with a matrix lodged between the magazine entrance and the selected magazine, and a lock for preventing the operation of said magazine shifting mechanism, the combination therewith of manually operable means for releasing said lock, an electric signal lamp automatically lighted and extinguished by the absence and presence of matrices lodged between the magazine and magazine entrance, respectively, and electric circuit means for said lamp, said circuit means including a switch which is manually actuated by the lock releasing means to close the lamp circuit, and an automatic switch actuated in response to matrices lodged between 10 the magazine and magazine entrance to open the lamp circuit.

14. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a series of matrix magazines, a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, mechanism for operating said shift frame, a magazine entrance for conducting matrices in the course of distribution into the selected magazine, said entrance being provided at its discharge end with a yielding flap or section which is caused to yield during the movement of the shift frame by engagement with a matrix lodged between the magazine entrance and the selected magazine, a lock to arrest the movement of the shift frame, and automatic actuating means for the lock, said means being activated by the yielding of the magazine entrance flap.

15. In a typographical distributing machine, the combination of a series of matrix magazines, a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, mechanism for operating said shift frame, a magazine entrance for conducting matrices in the course of distribution into the selected magazine, said entrance being provided at its discharge end with a yielding flap or section which is caused to yield during the movement of the shift frame by engagement with a matrix lodged between the magazine entrance and the selected magazine, a lock to arrest the movement of the shift frame, an automatic electrical element for actuating the lock, and an electric circuit for said element, said electric circuit being activated by the yielding of t the magazine entrance flap.

LOUIS ROSSETTO. GINO F. SQUASSONI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,138,785 Freund Nov. 29, 1938 2,252,472 Scott et al. Aug. 12, 1941 2,325,666 Czachorski Aug. 3, 1943 

